Croatia moves up to 7th place on the list of the world's best passports

The Henley Index is the most frequently cited global standard for measuring the strength of passports. The index emphasizes that it does not measure salaries or quality of life, but only freedom of movement. The power of a passport shows how connected a country is to the world and how much other countries trust it. The index says that its list is used by governments and diplomacy to track foreign relations and travel agreements, tourism and international mobility assessment organizations, media and analysts to illustrate global trends in country connectivity.

Croatia has moved up to 7th place on the list of the world's most powerful passports, according to the latest update of the Henley Passport Index from December. The list is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can visit without a visa. All data is further verified and updated by Henley & Partners with its research team. Each destination is awarded one point if access is visa-free or can be obtained upon arrival. The total number of points determines the ranking, without subjective factors such as economy or security. The index is updated quarterly.

With 184 points, Croatia shares 7th place with Australia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Canada is one place behind, in 8th, while the United States is in 11th place with 180 points. Singapore is still in first place with 193 points, which has held the throne for years thanks to its strong diplomatic ties and economic power, which allows its passport holders to access almost the entire world without a visa. Second is South Korea, whose citizens can travel to 190 destinations without a visa, while Japan is in third place with 189 points. At the bottom of the list are Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Of Croatia’s neighboring countries, Slovenia and Hungary are ranked 6th with one point more than Croatia. Serbia is 35th, while Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are 41st and 45th respectively.

The strength of the Croatian passport according to the Henley index has seen a clear and continuous upward trend over the years, especially visible after Croatia joined the European Union. When Henley Passport began publishing in 2006, the Croatian passport was relatively weak compared to today, and Croatian citizens had a much more limited number of countries to which they could travel without a visa. A new strong shift occurred after Croatia entered the Schengen area and the Eurozone in early 2023.

Source: HRT